Vehicle information display

ABSTRACT

An information display for use in vehicles including a module or housing located behind, and attached to, a support for the interior rearview mirror assembly. The module includes a display which is observable around the profile of the mirror by the vehicle operator or passengers. An upper portion of the display module is attached to the mount used to support the mirror assembly on the vehicle windshield. The upper portion of the module may be detachably coupled to the mount by a snap-on clip, by a threaded fastener secured directly to the mount, or by a resilient S-clip. The information display of this invention lends itself to quickly and inexpensively adding a wide range of information displays such as a compass, trip computer, clock, warning light, temperature readout, or the like, to any vehicle, at a location readily seen by the vehicle operator within the forward field of vision without substantially interfering or impairing the operator&#39;s field of vision.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/193,353,filed Feb. 10, 1994, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,576,687, issued Nov. 19, 1996,which is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 08/142,509 filed Oct. 25, 1993, which is a continuation-in-partof U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/811,578, filed Dec. 20, 1991, nowU.S. Pat. No. 5,255,442, issued Oct. 26, 1993.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to vehicle information displays, andparticularly, to an information display substantially concealed by therearview mirror and viewable by the vehicle operator and/or passengers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The vehicle instrument panel has typically provided informationconcerning the operation of the vehicle, time, outside temperature, andthe like. Instruments concerning operation of the vehicle havetraditionally been located in the panel directly in front of the vehicleoperator. Ancillary electronic displays, such as a clock, temperatureindicators, and the like, were also located in the panel often to theright of the driver so as to be viewed also by the passengers. In orderto view any one or more of the gauges or displays in he panel, theoperator looked down to the panel. The location of information displaysor gauges in the control panel is undesirable since it requires that theoperator redirect his line of sight from the road to the vehicleinterior and refocus on the particular gauge. Such a distraction mayresult in accident or injury when the vehicle operator is presented withan emergency situation.

Certain automobile manufacturers haw placed information displays in aconsole attached m the headliner. The information display is typicallylocated in the portion of the console closes to the windshield. When thevehicle operator references this information, his line of sight is alsoredirected from the road toward he vehicle roof. In cab-forward designs,the head position of the vehicle operator is moved forward with respectto the windshield/headliner boundary, so that the placement of anydisplays in the headliner-mounted console will be even more difficult toview.

Recently, automobile manufacturers have implemented a heads-up-display(HUD) which projects information onto the interior of the windshielddirectly in front of the vehicle operator. However, this technology isstill very expensive for automotive applications and is difficult toread during daylight hours, particularly when traveling through rapidlypassing shadows or driving toward a rising or setting sun. Theinformation projected onto the windshield often requires adjustment fordifferent driver eye levels which can make viewing of the informationdifficult for the passengers.

Certain kinds of information displays have also been mounted in theinterior rearview mirror of the vehicle. In one case, the display waslocated behind the prism in a prismatic-type interior rearview mirrorassembly and was limited in size so as not to interfere with the viewingarea provided by the mirror. In another application, the informationdisplay was mounted in the eyebrow portion of the mirror frame so as notto interfere with the field of view of the mirror. A disadvantageassociated with these displays is that they are integral with the mirrorassembly and expensive. The displays can, thus, not be used with anyrearview mirror unless the mirror has a specially designed case whichmounts the display. Because the mirror and display are combined into asingle unit, the mirror body is also heavier than conventional mirrorswithout the displays. In many cases, the heavier mirror vibrates oroscillates on its support, making it difficult and annoying for theoperator to form a clear image in the rearview mirror. Moreover, becausethe mirror and display are combined in a single unit, they must besupplied to, and operated by, the owner of the vehicle as a single unit.This limits the option packaging choices available to the originalequipment manufacturer.

No one has previously provided an information display which can bereadily installed in the windshield area of a vehicle with aconventional prismatic or electrochromic mirror and seen by the vehicleoperator and/or passengers without interfering with the field of viewand which overcomes the above disadvantages. Moreover, no one hasprovided such an information display which is mounted forward of theoperator to minimize refocusing while simultaneously not obstructing theoperator's field of vision.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, one embodiment of the invention provides an informationdisplay located within the operator's forward field of vision withoutsubstantially interfering with the operator's field of vision. Theinformation display includes a module which is mounted behind, andpreferably is at least partially concealed by, and most preferably issubstantially concealed by, an interior rearview mirror. The moduleincludes a display window extending from behind the mirror to make itobservable by the vehicle operator and/or passengers.

According to one aspect of the invention, the module is coupled to amount which secures the interior rearview mirror assembly to theinterior of the vehicle. The module includes an attachment member whichengages the mount to hold the module in place. The module can contain anelectrical circuit, preferably on a circuit board, operably coupled to aremote power source and coupled to a display located in the displaywindow of the module. The display window is located in a lobe extendingfrom the module, which lobe positions the display so that it isobservable beyond the peripheral edge of the rearview mirror. The moduleitself is most preferably substantially concealed from the operator andpassengers behind the rearview mirror and is preferably located below,and most preferably centrally below, the rearview mirror.

In a preferred form of the invention, the attachment member includes atab captured in one end of a mirror mount and a clip at the other end toclasp one end of a support arm to hold the module in place. Theattachment member is designed to cover a substantial portion of themount to provide a uniform appearance. The information display ispreferably digital and is connected to an electronic compass, tripcomputer, clock, temperature sensor, vehicle fault detector, or thelike.

In another embodiment, the module may be attached to the mirror mount bya fastener such as a screw, VELCRO® or oilier releasable hook-and-looptype fastener material, or the like. The upper portion of the moduleincludes a neck portion, which butts against and engages the mount. Atleast one screw or other fastener extends through the neck to rigidlyattach the module to the mount. According to yet another embodiment ofthe invention, the module may be detachably coupled to the mount by anS-clip which has one end attached to the module and an opposite endreceived in a space between the mount and the mounting button attachedto the vehicle. Alternatively, the module may be clipped or suspendedfrom the support arm interconnecting the rearview mirror to the mount oradhesively attached to the mount, support arm, or both using apressure-sensitive, thermally-, radiation-, or chemically-curedadhesive, or by mechanical means such as by a VELCRO® type fastener. Inall of the above embodiments, the size of the module and/or displaywindow may vary to provide sufficient space to convey or display theselected information.

Advantages provided by this invention include easily adapting thedisplay to vehicles having rearview mirrors supported in the windshieldarea, either on a windshield-mounted button, or a header-mounted bracketsuspended from the vehicle roof. The display is located in theoperator's forward field of vision inside the windshield and as far awayfrom the operator as possible, thus requiring a lesser degree ofrefocusing than required to view displays in the instrument panel or inthe headliner/overhead console. The operator can also easily view theinformation without taking his eyes from the road. Furthermore, themodule provides many more options with respect to the types of displaysthan those contained in conventional mirror-mounted displays, thusremoving a substantial weight from the mirror, making the mirror lesssusceptible to vibration and allowing use of displays with a widevariety and price range of rearview mirrors.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

A better understanding of the invention and the advantages providedthereby may be obtained by reference to the specification and theattached drawing figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view, from file interior of the vehicle throughthe windshield, of the display of the present invention mounted behind arearview rain or;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, sectional view of the vehicle windshield areataken along line II--II in FIG. 1 and showing the present invention;

FIG. 3A is an enlarged, elevational view of an interior rearview mirrorand one embodiment of the information display of this invention;

FIG. 3B is a side elevational view of one embodiment of the interiorrearview mirror and information display assembly secured to awindshield-mounted button, and including fragmentary, sectional views ofan electrochromic mirror and support arm;

FIG. 3C is a side elevational view of an alternate embodiment of theinterior rearview mirror and information display shown in FIG. 3A;

FIG. 4A is a perspective view of one embodiment of an interior rearviewmirror mount;

FIG. 4B is an exploded view of the information display assembly shown inFIGS. 2 and 3B;

FIG. 5 is an end view of the interior rearview mirror mount andwindshield-mounted mounting button;

FIGS. 6-8 are front, top, and side sectional views, respectively, of theinformation display assembly shown in FIG. 4B;

FIG. 9 is a side elevation shown in partial section of an alternateembodiment of the interior rearview mirror and information displayassembly including a manual, prismatic, day/night rearview mirror;

FIG. 10 is an exploded view of the alternate embodiment of theinformation display assembly shown in FIG. 9;

FIGS. 11-13 are front, top, and partial-side sectional views,respectively, of the information display shown in FIGS. 9 and 10;

FIG. 14 illustrates an alternate embodiment of an interior rearviewmirror channel mount used in association with this invention; and

FIGS. 15-16 are perspective and side elevation views of an alternateembodiment of an attachment member for coupling the information displayof the present invention to a windshield-mounted channel mount for aninterior rearview mirror.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

For the purposes of the following description, the terms "upper,""lower," "right," "left," "front," "rear," "vertical," "horizontal," andderivatives or equivalents thereof shall relate to the invention asoriented in FIG. 1. It is understood that the invention may assumevarious alternative orientations, except where expressly specified tothe contrary. It is also understood that the specific devices andprocesses illustrated in the attached drawings, and described in thefollowing specification, are simply exemplary embodiments of theinventive concepts defined in the appended claims. Hence, specificdimensions and other physical characteristics relating to theembodiments disclosed herein are not to be considered limiting unlessthe claims expressly state otherwise.

The invention is applicable to a wide variety of interior rearviewmirrors including manually operated, prismatic day/night mirrors, suchas described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,826,289 and 4,936,533; electricallyoperated, prismatic day/night mirrors such as described in U.S. Pat. No.4,948,242; electrically operated, compass mirrors such as that describedin U.S. Pat. No. 5,253,109; electrically operated, interior rearviewmirrors incorporating map/reading lights such as those described in U.S.Pat. Nos. 4,646,210; 4,733,336; 4,807,096; and 5,178,448; electricallyoperated, automatically dimming mirrors such as described in U.S. Pat.Nos. 4,793,690; 4,799,768; 4,886,960; and 5,193,029; and electricallyoperated memory interior rearview mirrors. This invention isparticularly advantageous when used in conjunction with electricallyoperated interior rearview mirrors integrally incorporating featuresincluding map lights, automatic dimming circuitry, etc., as such addedfeatures necessarily limit the space available within the mirror casecavity. For example, this present invention is useful in conjunctionwith electrochromic rearview mirror assemblies such as automatic dimmingrearview mirrors using an electrochromic element such as of theelectrochemicochromic type as the variable light-transmitting element.Suitable electrochromic elements are described in U.S. Pat. Nos.5,151,816; 5,142,407; and 5,140,455. Use of the module comprising theinstant invention in conjunction with electrically operated interiorrearview mirrors has the further advantage of permitting electricalcoupling of the module to the power supply of the vehicle by thepre-existing wire harness serving the rearview mirror. Thus, theelectrical coupling of the module can be by direct connection to theexisting wire harness or in parallel through an adapter plug forreceiving the existing plug and connecting the mirror. This particularlyfacilitates a retrofit such as might occur as on the aftermarket or atthe dealership as a result of an option selection.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the operator of the vehicle is positionedbehind and looks out through a windshield 22. Located in the uppercentral portion of windshield 22 is an interior rearview mirror assembly24 and one embodiment of an information display 26 described in greaterdetail below. Below windshield 22 is an instrument panel 30 containing aconventional speedometer 32 and other displays such as indicated by 34.For the purposes of this discussion, the operator's forward field ofvision will be defined as that area within windshield boundary orviewing area 28.

Interior rearview mirror assembly 24 includes a rearview mirror 40interconnected by a support arm 42 to a mount 44 coupled to the interiorsurface 46 of windshield 22. Attached to mount 44 and dependenttherefrom is one embodiment 26 of an information display assemblypositioned such that a lower portion is observable below mirror 40 by anoperator and/or passenger of the vehicle. Shown as 48 in FIG. 2 is an"Eyellipse" defined by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE)Recommended Practice J941, which preferably includes the eye position ofthe 90th percenthe level of drivers, more preferably the 95th percenthelevel, and most preferably the 99th percenthe level. Vehiclemanufacturers use this statistical information to determine whererearview mirror assembly 24 should be located without obstructing theoperator's forward field of vision.

FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C better illustrate the spacial relationship ofinterior rearview mirror assembly 24 with respect to information displayassembly 26. FIG. 3C illustrates an alternate embodiment of an interiorrearview mirror assembly including an alternate embodiment 26' of module26 and described in greater detail below. As in the other embodiments,module 26' is supported on the mirror mounting bracket 44 such thatdisplay 62 (not shown) is viewable below the mirror 40'. In theembodiment of FIGS. 3A and 3B, where dimensions are exaggerated forclarity, mirror assembly 40 includes a front glass element 41 formedfrom one of several types of glass including conventional soda limeglass. Examples include those which absorb ultraviolet radiation andhave a higher iron oxide content than soda lime glass. Spaced fromelement 41 (FIG. 3B) is a second glass element 43 made from a similartype of glass, and together with element 41, defines a gap or space 45(greatly exaggerated in the drawing figures) for receiving anelectro-optic medium described below. Preferably, each of the rearsurface 47 of front element 41 and the front surface 49 of rear element43 is coated with a layer of a transparent, electrically conductingmaterial such as indium tin oxide (ITO) 41a, 43a which is substantiallytransparent to incident visible light yet is sufficiently electricallyconductive to enable application of an electric field or voltage acrossspace 45 between ITO layers 41a, 43a. Electrical energy is provided bywire leads 51, 53 secured in a conventional manner to ITO coatings. Therear surface 55 of rear glass element 43 is coated with a reflectivelayer 57 preferably made from a metallic material such as aluminum, or acombination of silver and copper, which layer 57 may itself be coveredwith a protective coating 58.

In order to confine and retain the electro-optic medium in space 45, aperipheral seal 59, formed from an epoxy material which adheres well,when cured, to the ITO coatings, is applied adjacent the periphery ofglass elements 41, 43. The epoxy is preferably silk screened onto theinner surface 47 of the front glass element 41 or the back glass element43 or onto both glass elements. The corresponding glass element is thenplaced face-to-lace with the still tacky epoxy. Seal 59 is then allowedto cure and the space 45 may he tilled by a variety of ways includingsimple injection of electro-optically active material using a syringe orby vacuum backfilling. A variety of electro-optic material may be usedin space 45, including those described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,115,346 or inSociety of Automotive Engineers Technical Paper 870636 entitled"Electrochromic Automotive Day/Night Mirrors" by Niail Lynam, publishedFeb. 23-27, 1987, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein byreference.

Assembly 40 is preferably incorporated in a molded thermoplastic orother mirror case or frame 50 of conventional form and supported withinthe vehicle as described above. Mount 44 is preferably fastened towindshield inner surface 46 by a conventional double-tapered mountingbutton 70 (FIGS. 4A and 5). Button 70 may include generally planarparallel front and rear surfaces 71, 72; top and bottom ends 73, 74; andopposing side surfaces 75, 76. Button 70 can be made from a variety ofmaterials such as sintered metal, engineering plastic (such as glass ormineral-filled nylon), zinc, or aluminum. Front surface 71 is adapted tobe adhered to the interior surface 46 of windshield 22 using a suitableadhesive 78. One specific example is a clear, PVB adhesive availablefrom the Monsanto Company of St. Louis, Mo. Thus, peripheral edges 75,76 and opposite surface 72 of button 70 are free and exposed. Theperipheral edges 75, 76 of mounting button 70 may be beveled orchamfered inwardly toward windshield inner surface 46 to slidablyreceive mount 44 thereon and retain it in place. The opposite surface 72is adapted to slidingly receive a surface of coupler 80 described morefully below. In order to allow such sliding installation, button 70includes a double taper provided by side surfaces 75, 76 converging frombottom end 74 toward top end 73. Surfaces 75, 76 are also inclinedinwardly toward the inner windshield surface and surface 72 in a mannersimilar to that shown in FIGS. 4A and 5.

Referring to FIGS. 4A and 5, mount 44 includes a coupler body 80 havinga base contact or bottom surface 82 adapted to slidingly receive button70 during installation, an outer, exposed, exterior surface 84 receivesa retaining band 83, and a rearview mirror/accessory support 88including a neck 90 terminating in a ball member 92. Ball member 92 iscommonly swaged within one end 94 of support arm 42 (FIG. 3B). Definedat a lower end 96 of coupler 80 is a recess 98 to allow insertion of ascrewdriver blade or other tool to facilitate removal of the coupler 80from button 70 when desired after installation. Retaining band 83 ispreferably a resilient, flexible, spring clamp securely attached toexterior surface 84 such as by rivet 85. Ends 100 of band 83 extendabout coupler 80 toward bottom surface 82 and are arranged to clamp onperipheral edges 75, 76 of button 70 to retain mount 44 thereon.Extending from bottom surface 82 are walls or shoulders (not shown)which confine the coupler body laterally and longitudinally on button70. Accordingly, as is best seen in FIG. 5, button 70 is adapted to bereceived between the ends 100 of band 83 which holds the coupler 80against button 70. The three of the converging ends 100 of retainingband 83 urge coupler 80 against button 70 and, together with the wallsor shoulders mentioned above, prevent twisting or rotational motion ofcoupler 80 after installation. Details of the mount 44 and its couplingrelationship with mounting button 70 and support arm 42 are described incopending, commonly assigned, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 022,968,filed Feb. 25, 1993, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,377,949, issued Jan. 3, 1995the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.

Information display assembly 26 (FIGS. 3B, 4B, and 6-8) includes ahousing 110 having an attachment member 112 extending frown an upperportion 114 and a lobe 116 extending from a lower portion 118 anddefining portion 60 described above. Housing 110 preferably has a lowprofile having a height less than either its length or width so that itcan be concealed behind the outline 54 of mirror 40. It is furtherpreferred that housing 110 be made from two pieces 114, 118, preferablyof a molded polymeric material such as polypropylene, ABS, nylon, or thelike. The injection molding process permits the formation of one or morebosses 144 and tabs 115 in the module interior chamber to add strength,facilitate assembly, provide seating and placement of circuit board 150and display 154, and provide fastening of the upper portion 114 withlower portion 118.

Referring to FIGS. 6-8, housing upper portion 114 includes an upper wall120 which may be flat or gently curved and which preferably terminatesin four downwardly extending sidewalls such as 122, 124. Sidewalls 122,124, in turn, terminate in a lower peripheral edge 126 which defines askirt 128 dependent therefrom and received in housing lower portion 118.Housing lower portion 118 includes a lower or bottom wall 130 whichdefines lobe 116, display face 132, and a recessed portion 134 abovedisplay face 132. Bottom wall 130 extends upwardly terminating in acorresponding number of walls 136, 137 having an upper peripheral edge138 designed to mate with peripheral edge 126 and partially receiveskirt 128.

Portions 114, 118 are detachably coupled to each other to form housing110. Any one of a number of coupling schemes may be employed includingclips extending upwardly from portion 118 which cooperatively join withtabs extending downwardly from skirt 128. In this manner, housing 110can be opened for servicing if need be and reassembled. Also defined onthe interior of housing portions 114, 118 are bosses and guides 144 toreceive and position a circuit-containing board 150 which is coupled toand powered by a remote power source (not shown) through a conductor 152extending through housing 110. An information display 154 is, in turn,operably coupled to conductor 152 and circuit board 150 and ismechanically fixed in window 62 by screws, friction coupling, or thelike.

In one embodiment of the invention, a compass circuit is located inmodule 26 secured below the mounting arm and bracket 42, 44 for therearview mirror 40. The module is positioned in relation to anelectrochromic (FIG. 3B) or prismatic mirror (FIG. 9) so that thevehicle heading may be displayed behind and below the mirror andviewable through a transparent area of display window 62 by the driverand all passengers in the vehicle. FIGS. 4B and 10 depict an integratedcompass module which houses the electronic circuit of the compass andalso the display 154 or 254. A stand-alone compass module may be mountedsimilarly and supply directional information to other vehicle systemsfor display or navigational purposes. Circuit board 150 in FIG. 4A maybe configured for any one of a number of other displays, including: aclock, an odometer, a speed indicator, a hazard warning indicator, aturn indicator, a thermometer (both interior and exterior), a tripcomputer, a global positioning satellite (GPS) system, a cellulartelephone, a supplemental vision system (including camera, sonar,infrared and microwave detection), and/or warning lights (such as a lowfuel indicator), and other indicia. Display 154 operably coupled tocircuit board 150 may be any one of a number of types of electronicdisplays including liquid crystal displays (both negative and positivemodes), light-emitting diodes, vacuum fluorescent, gas discharge,cathode-ray tube, or plasma display. Display 154 may be analog, digital,or both. A similar display may also be used for displaying compassinformation, although it is anticipated that the information isdisplayed by an alpha character such as SW, NE, NW, E, etc. An exampleof an electronic compass suitable for use in module 26 is disclosed inrelated U.S. Pat. No. 5,255,442, the disclosure of which is herebyincorporated by reference herein.

As is best seen in FIGS. 6-8, one embodiment of attachment member orclip 112 extending from upper wall 120 includes a wall 160 which definesa cavity 162 for receiving coupler body 80 described above. Wall 160 hasa low profile at one end 164 and increases in height to an opposite end166. Centrally defined at the upper end 166 is a circular recess or clip168. A tab 170 is centrally located at the opposite end and extends atan upward angle from wall 120 into cavity 162. Tab 170 is adapted to bereceived in slot or recess 98 defined at the lower end 96 of couplerbody 80 while circular recess 168 has a diameter adapted to receive neckportion 90 extending from mount 44 in a snap-fit fashion. Opposedshoulders 172 at the top of recess 168 from a partial circle with a neckreceiving opening 173 slightly smaller than the diameter of neck 90 andallow attachment member 112 to be detachably coupled on neck 90. Cavity162 defined by wall 160 is of sufficient size and depth to substantiallysurround and enclose mount 44 when attached thereto as shown in FIG. 3B.

FIGS. 9-13 illustrate an alternate embodiment of information displayassembly 226 similar to module 26' in FIG. 3C and its coupling withmount 244, as well as an alternate embodiment 240 of the rearview mirrorassembly. For example, mirror assembly 240 may be a manually operated,prismatic day/night rearview mirror which includes a mirror case havinga bezel or frame 250 surrounding and enclosing a mirror prism 241.Mirror assembly 240 is preferably located within the uppermost centralportion of the field of view, defined by boundary 28 (FIG. 1). Aday/night toggle-type actuator lever 256 maybe located along the bottomcenter of mirror frame 250 which also extends slightly frown peripheraledge 254 to permit the operator to change the reflection angle of prism241 for day or night driving. Information display assembly 226 is shownbehind mirror assembly 240 such that a portion 260 containing a displaywindow 262 is viewed below the lower peripheral edge 254 and belowday/night toggle 256. This relationship is unchanged so long as mirror240 is generally horizontal for the vehicle operator; although, eachspecific operator can make necessary adjustments for proper viewingusing ball swivel members 290, 293 or a combination thereof as describedbelow.

The alternate embodiment of rearview mirror assembly 240, best seen inFIG. 9, may include a support arm 242 having a swaged, one-piece tubularmember 243 enclosing two plastic ball cups 245, 247 forced outwardly bya compression spring 249 against the ends of tubular member 243, andball member 293 extending rearwardly from rearview mirror assembly 240.Ball member 293 may project from a pivot actuator 251 rotatably mountedwithin rearview mirror assembly 240 on pivot shafts 253. Case or frame250 encloses and retains mirror/element 241 such as a prism havingnonparallel front and back surfaces. A pivot lever or toggle 256,supported on a lower set of pivot shafts 255 and joined or engaged withthe lower edge of pivot actuator 251, may be moved back and forth topivot housing 250 and mirror element 241 between day and nightreflective positions about shafts 253. In the day position,substantially all of the light entering the vehicle from the rear isreflected to the eyes of the driver/operator, while in the nightposition, only a significantly reduced amount of light is so reflected,thereby reducing glare and improving the operator's night vision.

Coupler 280 (FIGS. 9, 13, and 14) is preferably die cast from zinc ormolded from a suitable, resinous polymeric material and includes aslightly tapered body having a base or bottom surface 285 adapted toslidingly receive a windshield mounted button such as that described at70 above during installation, an outer exterior surface 287, and arearview mirror/accessory support 286 including a neck 288 and a ballmember 290. Projecting from the same side of coupler 280 on whichsurface 285 is located are a pair of inwardly inclined, convergingspaced walls 292 between which button 70 is confined after mount 244 isinstalled. The spaced walls 292 follow the general rounded shape of theupper end 276 of coupler 280 and extend along the sides of coupler 280to laterally confine button 70 when installed. Between spaced walls 292is a cavity or recess which reduces the overall weight and materialcost.

Information display assembly 226 includes a housing 210 having an upperportion 214 closed by a lower portion 218. Portion 218 is substantiallyidentical to lower portion 118 described above. Upper portion 214includes a neck portion 216 extending from an upper wall 220. Neck 216is formed from a three-sided wall 222 generally surrounding a floor 224(FIGS. 12 and 13). Passing through floor 224 is a hole 227 for receivinga shafted fastener 228 such as a screw (FIG. 13), Christmas-treefastener, or the like which extends into a hole 300 in mount 244.Fastener 228 draws the upper edge 223 of wall 222 tightly against theouter exterior surface 287 of mount 244. It is contemplated thatexterior surface 287 of mount 244 may have a projection or boss 302defined thereon (FIG. 10) which is received between walls 222 andagainst floor 224 of neck 216. Boss 302 would properly position assembly226 thereon and would also serve to strengthen the coupling between thetwo components.

In operation, the information display assembly is attached to theinterior mirror assembly in a way such that the information displaywindow is fully viewable outside the peripheral edge of the mirrorframe, while the bulk of the display assembly including housing assembly110 or 210, is concealed frown the operator's line of sight by themirror itself, as shown in FIG. 3A. Only that portion of the assemblycontaining the display is viewable during normal operation of thevehicle. The double-ball joint rearview mirror mounting arm 42, or otheradjustable mounting arms, may be used to position mirrors 40, 240 toaccomplish such relationship for various sizes of drivers. If theinformation display assembly is coupled or otherwise connected to aremote device, a conductor or cable extends through a hole formed in theupper wall of the housing upper portion such as aperture 129 or 229(FIGS. 8 and 13), and extends either upwardly along the interior of thewindshield to the headliner where it is routed to the appropriatelocation or is coupled to an electrically operated mirror, if used. Forexample, one such remote device may include a power source, one or moretemperature sensors, or other device unable to be wholly retained withinthe display housing.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 3B, 4B, and 6-8 including attachment member112 extending from the upper portion 114 of housing 110, tab 170 isplaced inside recess 88 defined in the end of coupler 80 and heldtherein while the opposite end of attachment member 112 is snapped overthe neck portion 90 and held tightly thereon. Wall 160 containing tab170 and clip 168 substantially encloses coupler 80 to provide anaesthetically appealing and clean assembly. In the case of the alternateembodiment shown in FIGS. 9-13, the upper portion 214 is rigidlyattached to mount 244 by fastener 228 extending through hole 227 infloor 224. If provided, neck portion 216 is located by boss 302extending from coupler 280. Once in place, the lower portion 118 or 218is snapped into place and the respective conductors, if necessary, arerun to their respective locations.

An alternate embodiment for mounting the information display assembliesdescribed above includes the use of a resilient S-shaped spring clip 400shown in FIG. 15. Clip 400 is preferably made from 0.125 inch thickspring steel and formed such that clip arms 402,404 are generallyadjacent spine 406. Ends 408, 410 are slightly turned upward away fromspine 406 to facilitate engagement. Each end 408, 410 may also contain ahole or slot 412 in order to receive a fastener for attaching therespective end to a surface. The fastener may be any one of a number ofmechanical fasteners including permanent or releasable fasteners, suchas screws, rivets, VELCRO® fastening material, and the like. For examplein FIG. 16, one end 410 of clip 400 may be rigidly attached to neckportion 216 of housing 210 by a fastener 413 extending through floor224. The end 410 is preferably constrained by walls 222. With end 410rigidly attached to housing 210, the opposite end 408 of clip 400 isslidably received and held in a space 414 between coupler base or bottomsurface 424 and a first surface 426 of mounting button 428. The spatialrelationship between button surface 428 and button surface 426 is suchthat end 408 is tightly held therebetween by a friction coupling.Alternately, a projection 427 on coupler base 424 (FIG. 16) may alsoextend into hole 412 to help hold clip 400 in place. This couplingarrangement easily lends itself for use in substantially any vehiclehaving an interior rearview mirror assembly attached to the windshieldby a mounting button, such as button 428. Also when used with interiorrearview mirrors, which include a double-ball mount with one pivot balllocated at that end of the channel adjacent the mounting button and thesecond pivot ball located at the end of the channel adjacent the case ofthe mirror assembly, the present invention optionally allows alignmentof the display relative to the symmetry of the vehicle different from,and optionally independent from, the alignment of the mirror reflectiveelement in the mirror case. Also, the benefit of this present inventioncan be obtained by attachment of the module to a rearview mirrorassembly at a location by a means other than by coupling to the mirrormount. For example, the benefits can be obtained by coupling to thesupport member or to the bottom, rear, or top of the mirror frame. Also,the benefits of this invention can be enjoyed by the operator and/or theoccupant of the vehicle.

The above description is considered that of the preferred embodimentsonly. Modification of the invention will occur to those skilled in theart and to those who make and use the invention. Therefore, it isunderstood that the embodiments shown in the drawings and describedabove are merely for illustrative purposes and are not intended to limitthe scope of the invention, which is defined by the following claims.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property orprivilege is claimed are defined as follows:
 1. An information displayfor an interior rearview mirror assembly for vehicles, the vehicle beingof the type including a front windshield, said display comprising:arearview mirror assembly including a housing holding a reflective mirrorelement, said housing having a peripheral edge; a support adapted forattachment to a mounting button secured to the front windshield of thevehicle, said support including an adjustable member for adjustablymounting said housing for said reflective mirror element with respect tothe mounting button; and a module and an associated display element,said module being removably attached to said support for said rearviewmirror assembly; said module being separate from and located behind saidhousing for said reflective mirror element and adapted to be concealedby said housing, said display element being mounted on said module suchthat said display element is exposed by said peripheral edge of saidhousing and is observable by an occupant of the vehicle; said housingbeing adjustably mounted on said adjustable member of said supportwhereby the position of said housing is adjustable independent of thelocation of said module and display on said support.
 2. An informationdisplay as claimed in claim 1, wherein said module includes a modulehousing having a lobe extending beyond said peripheral edge of saidhousing for said reflective mirror element, said display element beinglocated in said lobe.
 3. An information display as claimed in claim 2,wherein said module housing includes first and second portions joinedtogether to define an interior chamber.
 4. An information display asclaimed in claim 3, further including a circuit in said module housingfor powering said display element, and a conductor means for connectingsaid circuit to a power source.
 5. An information display as claimed inclaim 4, wherein said circuit comprises at least one device selectedfrom the group of devices comprising compasses, odometers, clocks, tripcomputers, global satellite positioning systems, cellular telephones,supplemental vision systems, warning lights, turn indicators, hazardwarning indicators, speed indicators, and indicia.
 6. An informationdisplay as claimed in claim 1, wherein said display element includes atleast one of a liquid crystal display, a light-emitting diode, and afluorescent element.
 7. An information display as claimed in claim 1wherein said support further includes a mount adapted to engage themounting button when the mounting button is secured to the insidesurface of the front windshield; said module including a couplerengaging said mount.
 8. An information display as claimed in claim 7wherein said coupler includes a first member engaging said mount and asecond member engaging a portion of said support spaced from said mount.9. An information display as claimed in claim 7, wherein said couplerincludes a shafted fastener received in said mount.
 10. An informationdisplay as claimed in claim 7, wherein said coupler includes a slidefastner received in said mount.
 11. An information display as claimed inclaim 1 wherein said reflective mirror element is an electro-opticmirror element whose reflectivity is variable depending upon theapplication of an electrical voltage thereacross.
 12. An informationdisplay as claimed in claim 11 wherein said electro-optic mirror elementincludes an electrochromic mirror element.
 13. An information display asclaimed in claim 11, wherein said rearview mirror assembly includes atleast one of a map light and an automatic dimming circuit.
 14. Aninformation display for an interior rearview mirror assembly forvehicles, the vehicle being of the type including a front windshield,said display comprising:a rearview mirror assembly including a housingholding a reflective mirror element; a support adapted to extend from aposition adjacent the vehicle front windshield to said housing, saidhousing having a peripheral edge; and a module and an associated displayelement, said module being removably attached to said support for saidrearview mirror assembly; said module being separate from and locatedbehind said housing for said reflective mirror element such that atleast said display element is exposed by said peripheral edge of saidhousing and is observable by an occupant of the vehicle; said supportincluding a mount adapted to engage a button secured to the insidesurface of said windshield; said module including a coupler engagingsaid mount; said coupler including a first member engaging said mountand a second member engaging a portion of said support spaced from saidmount; said first member being a tab on one end of said coupler forcatching said mount and said second member being a clip for snappingover a neck on said support.
 15. An information display for an interiorrearview mirror assembly for vehicles, the vehicle being of the typeincluding a front windshield, said display comprising:a rearview mirrorassembly including a housing holding a reflective mirror element; asupport adapted to extend from a position adjacent the vehicle frontwindshield to said housing, said housing having a peripheral edge; amodule and an associated display element, said module being removablyattached to said support for said rearview mirror assembly; said modulebeing separate from and located behind said housing for said reflectivemirror element such that at least said display element is exposed bysaid peripheral edge of said housing and is observable by an occupant ofthe vehicle; and said support including a mount adapted to engage abutton secured to the inside surface of said windshield; said moduleincluding a coupler engaging said mount; said coupler including anattachment member for snapping said module onto said mount.
 16. Aninformation display for an interior rearview mirror assembly forvehicles, the vehicle being of the type including a front windshield,said display comprising:a rearview mirror assembly including a housingholding a reflective mirror element: a support adapted to extend from aposition adjacent the vehicle front windshield to said housing, saidhousing having a peripheral edge; a module and an associated displayelement, said module being removably attached to said support for saidrearview mirror assembly; said module being separate from and locatedbehind said housing for said reflective mirror element such that atleast said display element is exposed by said peripheral edge of saidhousing and is observable by an occupant of the vehicle; and saidsupport including a mount adapted to engage a button secured to theinside surface of said windshield; said module including a couplerengaging said mount; said support also including a support arm havingtwo ends and pivotally connected to said mount at one of said ends andpivotally connected to said housing for said reflective mirror elementat the second of said two ends whereby said rearview mirror assemblyincluding said housing for said reflective mirror element and saidreflective mirror element is adjustable independent of the location ofsaid module and display.